Grill'd

Simon Crowe opened the first Grill’d in Hawthorn, Melbourne, in 2004, pitching it as a healthier alternative to fast food: grass-fed beef and lamb, free-range and RSPCA-approved chicken, fresh salad and chips that are not drowning in oil. It worked, and it became one of Australia’s biggest burger chains without ever feeling like a drive-thru.

Every order comes with a small token that customers drop into one of three jars for local community groups, and each month the money is split by how many tokens each jar collected. It is called Local Matters, and it has made Grill’d a neighbourhood fixture as much as a burger shop.

Around 180 restaurants across Australia, plus one in Bali.

• Ribs & Burgers (Australia, since 2011). An Australian grillhouse chain started by butchers: flame-grilled burgers, Wagyu doubles and racks of slow-cooked ribs. Also built on beef, bacon, egg and cheese.
• BurgerFuel (New Zealand, since 1995). New Zealand’s cheeky burger chain, with beetroot, pineapple and a burger called the Bastard. Also built on beef, bacon and cheese.
• Burger Urge (Australia, since 2007). Brisbane’s gourmet burger chain, as famous for its provocative marketing as its burgers. Also built on beef, egg and cheese.
• Lord of the Fries (Australia, since 2004). A Melbourne chip van that became Australia’s all-vegan burger chain. Also built on beef, egg and cheese.